The market for premium fibers and materials continues to grow, but not fast enough, according to a new report that calls the transition to premium fibers and materials an “irreversible” trend .
TextileExchange, a global non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the use of premium fibers and materials and responsible supply chains, its latest annual update found that the market share of premium fibers and materials Significant growth compared to 2020.
In the “2021 Preferred Fibers and Materials Market Report”, the market for plant fibers such as cotton, hemp and flax is summarized; animal fibers and materials, such as wool, mohair, Cashmere, alpaca, down, silk, leather; man-made cellulose (MMCF), such as viscose fiber, lyocell fiber, modal fiber, acetate fiber, cupro fiber; and synthetic materials, such as polyester, polyamide, etc.
The results show that between 2019 and 2020, the market share of preferred cotton increased from 24% to 30%, and the market share of recycled polyester increased from 13.7% to 14.7%. Cashmere Preferred increased from 0.8% to 7%, and Responsible Mohair Standard certified fiber increased from 0% to 27% of all mohair produced globally in 2020 (its first year). The market share of FSC and/or PEFC forest certification MMCF increased to approximately 55-60%. Although the market share of recycled MMCF is only 0.4%, it is expected to increase significantly in the next few years.
The total number of global certifications certified by the organization increased by 75% in 2020 (to 30,000), which also shows that brands are increasingly interested in using premium fibers and materials. These standards include Global Recycling Standard (GRS), Organic Content Standard (OCS), Recycling Statement Standard (RCS), Content Statement Standard (CCS), Responsible Down Standard (RDS), Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Responsible Sheep Camel Standard (RAS), Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS). TextileExchange launched the Leather Impact Accelerator (LIA) in early 2021 to address key sustainability challenges across the entire bovine leather supply chain from farm to finished leather, including impact incentive programs.
TextileExchange CEO LaRheaPepper pointed out in the report: We are happy for this growth. Getting to this point required a lot of learning and collaboration, but even with this growth, Preferred Fibers still accounts for less than 1/5 of the global fiber market. Such a share is insufficient not only in 2021, but also at a time when the climate is on the verge of major change.
Less than 0.5% of the global fiber market comes from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles.
Global fiber production has almost doubled in the past 20 years, from 58 million tons in 2000 to 109 million tons in 2020. Although it is unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors will affect future development, it is expected that if the industry returns to normal business, global fiber production will increase by another 34%, reaching 146 million tons by 2030. TextileExchange said that if this growth continues, it will become increasingly difficult for the industry to meet science-based goals for climate and nature.
Pepper said: Optimizing the production and use of fibers and materials must be a non-negotiable decision, both for current and post-pandemic business. It’s time to accelerate the transition to sustainable practices that reduce the footprint of traditional fiber and material production on the planet.
Liesl Truscott, director of corporate benchmarking at TextileExchange, added: increasing the use of preferred fibers and materials, promoting renewable practices, mitigating land use change, supporting the transition to renewable energy and Encouraging innovation and circularity are known solutions and goals of TextileExchange’s Climate+. The next nine years must accelerate the development of such solutions, which will be decisive for the future of our planet and all life.
